iPhone gets The Glass Face

I'm turning a bad pun on a 3rd Bass reference ("The Gas Face") into an analysis of the big problem with said iPhone, and why Dave probably won't get it.  Yes, I'm a hypocrite.  And actually, Dave probably will take another look at it when design improvements are in place and bugs get worked out in a year or two.  I love the iPod functionality, the video voicemail, the size and the look. 



But this product is fatally flawed.  That's right: the iPhone in its present form is D.O.A.  And here's why:



You can't make a phone without buttons and with a smooth, glass face.  I'm sorry, but it just doesn't work for a variety of reasons.



First off, the glass face will require special protection.  You'll need a special case to protect that face when you are walking around.  You can't just throw this phone into a bag or into your pocket - not withot worrying about scratching the glass with keys, etc.  That will mean more work getting it out to use, putting it away, etc. 



Secondly, no buttons for anything besides volume and ringer equals no tactile feedback when you are using the phone.  How often do you adjust your phone or answer a call without even looking at your phone?  You can do this because your phone has BUTTONS.  Yet more and more I'm seeing phones like the Razr and the iPhone, who sacrifice practical tactile sensing for appearances' sake.  It's a dumb, shortsighted move on several levels.  First, for the reasons I already outlined - it makes the phone more difficult to use.  The bigger issue?  Safety.



A lot of people use cellphones while driving.  It's easier to do this if you don't have to look at the phone to use it.  Unless the iPhone is accompanied with some breakthrough voice-recognition features (and I haven't seen anything mentioned), this phoe is irresponsible because it forces the user to rely even more on visual cues than other phones.  Maybe they will build in some kind of virtual tactile generator so people can feel the keys on the phone.  Otherwise, this phone is the last thing we need when we already have thousands of idiot drivers causing accidents using their cellphones behind the wheel.  We're almost all guilty of using our phones while driving, but it's easier to do when you don't have to worry about looking at the phone.  Typing messages under normal circumstances will be a bitch too, and you can forget about typing in an unprogrammed phone number without looking.



On paper, the iPhone looks great.  If they have already devised some way around these issues, such as advanced voice-recognition and/or virtual tactile sensors, then I take back everything I've said.  If not, then the drawbacks of the iPhone will completely overwhelm the many positives.

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